Saab BioPower: Now In Australia

Sydney, Australia — Saab
used the Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) as the venue
to launch Australia’s first ethanol-compatible production car,
the Saab BioPower.

The Saab BioPower is a flex-fuel
ethanol powered version of the Saab 9-5 that can run on E85 (a mix of
85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol), or on petrol.

“Saab
BioPower is the first production ethanol fuel vehicle on sale in
Australia,” says Director GM Premium Brands, Parveen Batish.
“BioPower offers better performance on E85 than running on
petrol. Since we put the first Saab BioPower test vehicles on
Australian roads in January we have had a huge amount of interest from
governments, ethanol producers and the general public."

Available
in 9-5 Sedan and SportEstate body-styles with a 2.3 litre, 4-cylinder
turbocharged engine, the BioPower generates up to 20 per
cent more power and 16 per cent more torque when driven on E85 compared
to petrol.

Saab
is banking on rapid public take-up of ethanol, commenting that it
believes Australians are willing to help
stimulate demand convince fuel retailers to facilitate the
local introduction of E85 at service stations. Since the BioPower was
launched in Sweden two years ago, over 20,000 units have been
sold, enabling (according to Saab figures) a reduction in fossil fuel
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 80 per cent.

Current
pricing is $61,900 for the 9-5 BioPower Sedan and $63,900 for
the 9-5 BioPower SportEstate - $1,500 up on standard model pricing.